1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to compact optical devices and, more particularly, to a compact optical structure wherein the source is integrated and which additionally comprises diffraction structures inscribed on the surface of a plane waveguide associated with the source.
2. Summary of the Invention
In the field of interferometry, it is possible, for example, to design a SAGNAC effect gyrometer or a hydrophone wherein all the optical functions necessary for such applications can be integrated in one and the same layer on the surface of a plane waveguide. For this purpose, the waveguide is a layer of photo-polymer sensitized in the visible range and deposited on a substrate on whose surface is provided a layer of silicon dioxide, the optical functions being inscribed on the surface of the photo-polymer layer by photoinduction of index variations before the total polymerisation which makes the photo-polymer transparent, i.e. by localized photosensitization in the layers of photosensitive resin deposited on the surface of the layer of photopolymer, the resin then being developed to form a diffraction structure in relief on the surface of the waveguide.
Such a structure, wherein a single-mode source of small size and a well defined wavelength is associated with a plane waveguide on those surface diffraction structures performing optical functions such as the separation of light, deflection of light, lens, reflection of light can be inscribed, is particularly suitable for numerous applications in the fields of optical telecommunications, the storage of information in two states, or interferometry.